Guest Post: Rebekah's Yellow + Gray Master

Another room redo from Rebekah of Wild Ink Press? Yes, please and thank you! She has done such an amazing job transforming her home from boring to impressive in a practial way. And she put yellow accents in her bedroom. Hello? Heart that. Rebekah, lets hear how and what you did it.



Howdy folks! So, so happy to be sharing our little master bedroom "before and after" with you. I was actually privileged to show our master bathroom remodel in May here on Brooklyn Limestone, and Stefanie was kind enough to have me back again to reveal the rest of the en suite makeover. If you remember from that post, we love our home, it's location, the letterpress studio in the back, and our awesome town of Chico, California. But the home, while having great bones, suffered from 90's builder grade. As in, everything beige and blah. The good news? With a little elbow grease, this is a curable condition. I'm happy to say that our home is recovering nicely after being given love, attention, and some demo.

Here's how it looked before:



A taupey room, beige carpet, white hollow core mc-cheapy doors, short baseboard, blank walls. I think any of you who have walked into any tract home have seen this before. But our home is not a tract home, and we want to prove it, inside and out! A few more "before" gems...

What do we see? Ceiling fan light fixture - check. Ceiling fans are bad enough, although a necessary evil, but an added light kit... ugh. Large alcove to hold a TV armoire - check. Oops, we don't have a TV. Stained cream carpet - check. We have a two-year old, and a cat, and light, non-patterned carpet is a friend to neither.

Okay, enough icky. Here is the "after":


Doesn't even look like the same room, right? We painted the walls a medium-toned grey (Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray), ripped out the carpet and installed a hardwood chevron floor (my favorite). It's quarter-sawn oak, stained rich walnut. The rest of our house has hand-scraped walnut floors, but actual walnut chevron wood was just a bit too dear of a price. We added some tall baseboard to match the peaked ceiling, and removed the infernal light kit from the fan. I swear, that's probably the littlest thing that made the biggest difference!!

We painted the hollow core doors a rich black and changed the hardware to weighty crystal knobs. And the bathroom archway we eliminated in favor of double french doors, my husband's brilliant idea (he said I had to give him props, so here they are!). The mirrors are cheap convex mirrors (I love a good bull's eye!) that I spray painted yellow lacquer. The print we picked up at a Paris flea market.

Here are a few bits and detail shots...

Sadly, this list is going to look something like a Pottery Barn catalog (not intentional, it just drifted that way with years of accumulation). The headboard is their York model. Love it, didn't love the price, but finally decided I had no time to DIY so I caved and bought it. Lamps are Pottery Barn milk glass, not available anymore. These babies used to be in our living room but our two-year-old needs less glass in his life, so they moved in here. The raw linen duvet and shams are from Rough Linen - love, love, love them and spent all of my birthday money to bring 'em home. Tricia sews them by hand and was fabulous to work with. The yellow pick stitch quilt is Pottery Barn. I've been going through a "yellow phase" (read: obsession) that does not appear to have an end in sight, but with the Master bedroom I tried to lay a neutral foundation and then add the yellow in accents that could easily be removed (like in winter you won't need a light-weight quilt).

That washed out frame in the corner is a wonderful light blue letterpress print by Studio on Fire. Doesn't show in pictures, though.



We charge our electronics and sort our sundries with a Bedford station (bought on clearance). Any ideas on what I should write on the drawer label? It's been blank for three years - I just haven't had the heart to write "junk" or "stuff" on the tag, which is what would be accurate.

The vintage fashion illustrations (from Etsy) are a placeholder until we can find/afford a cool painting for this wall, maybe on our next trip. Matt's voting for something big and masculine, like a hunting scene. :)

If I had one regret with this room, it's a lack of pattern (one or two bold prints in the right places would set it off well, I think). But I LOVE the amount of texture in the space - from the smooth chevron floor to the chunky wool/jute rug, plus rough linen, burlap, and woven baskets. Happy sigh.

Thanks so much for letting me share our master bedroom redo! Now, since I have such a great audience, I can't resist asking for advice on a few finishing touches.

1) Windows. We have white wood blinds up right now (came with the house) and I was thinking of adding curtains to soften the line. Maybe linen or thick canvas or gauzy mosquito netting? I'd love a nice striped pattern, but it will have to be neutral because my yellow obsession might change and curtains are big bucks.

2) The bench cushion at the foot of the bed. It's currently a placeholder "no sew" (ironing tape) burlap cushion. Sadly, I can't sew. Not even close. I have a friend who can, though and if you have any great ideas for a cushion/cover, she might be able to pull it off. Maybe using a bold pattern here?

3) Should I put anything next to the large leaner mirror? In the photos, you see two vases of sunflowers (farmer's market, only $3 for all of them!!) but that's not a permanent solution. I feel maybe something that's a larger object, tall and graceful? I'm not that good at keeping plants alive, but maybe some greenery? I'm also not sure a chair or anything too big would fit there. Ideas would be great.

I think that's it! Thank you so much for having me, Stefanie, and everybody, keep decorating, DIYing and keep inspired!

56 comments:

  1. I'm in love... what a gorgeous transformation! I'm especially drawn to the black doors with the crystal knobs. Genius. But the entire room is breathtaking and inspiring. I've been thinking of going gray in our master and you've convinced me (along with Stefanie). Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Anonymous9:18 AM

    wow, love. Finally a well decorated room my boyfriend would actually like to!

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  3. Love! The headboard and the floors and the colours. Great job!

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  4. Beautiful flooring! Nice gray, too.

    Kelly

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  5. Wow, love the knobs, the mirror, the linens, the french doors, the floors, and the paint colour. Beautiful job!

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  6. Love that headboard! It is gorgeous. Worth every penny if you ask me.

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  7. That's just a beautiful room, well done & so pretty!

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  8. What a wonderful transformation, you have added so many special touches to make it your own, that is what I call great decorating,Kathysue

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  9. I love your transformation! The bed looks great! I especially love the glass doors into the bath. Great job!

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  10. What a wonderful room! It feels so calm and, thanks to the texture, interactive at the same time. As for something tall and graceful by the mirror, how do you feel about willow branches? They should be relatively inexpensive and you can spray paint them black or yellow or gray so they pop in front of the mirror frame. If you decide to do drawback drapes you could have someone (your sewing friend?) make fabric drawback ties in a funky pattern and make the bench cushion to match. Good luck and thanks for sharing!

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  11. I so love this room Rebekah. Here is my take on your open questions. 1) Definitely add some fabric on the windows to soften a bit. Guazy or canvas would look great - just hang them high. 2)I think a thick box cushion in a fun fabric would make a nice impact and it wouldn't be too much of an investment. 3) I dont think you need to include anything in front of the mirror but for practical reasons a little table might be good place to drop keys or whatever. Personally I find indoor trees and big plants to be offputting so I wouldn't like that but I know a lot of people love them so its a personal preference.

    But honestly, it looks gorgeous already.

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  12. LOVE this room, especially the headboard and bedding! And I also love that she put up a giant mirror where most people would put a TV...even though I'm definitely for TVs in the bedroom.

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  13. I am LOVING this room!

    I think a fun pattern (maybe with some yellow in it to tie it all together) for the end of the bed piece would be beautiful!

    I just used some Amy Butler fabric for some chairs...maybe it will give you inspiration? (The most recent post on my blog).

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  14. Really gorgeous job, Rebekah! My fave three elements:
    1) The chevron floors (awesome!)
    2) Your hubster's french doors
    3) The raw linen duvet - so glad you sourced it!

    Nice feature, Mrs. L!

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  15. These comments/ideas are all awesome. I love the small table concept, and I also think willow branches painted a modern color could be so fun. Keep 'em coming, and so glad you like our master bedroom redo!

    Rebekah

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  16. Anonymous12:43 PM

    Thank you for the Rough Linen mention Rebekah - I love the way you have used it! I think the French doors are my favorite element - and the wonderful floors (and the leaning mirror, and the gray, and the touches of yellow - I could go on!)

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  17. Love, love, love it all!! The chevron, linen, French doors, glass knobs, rug, mirror... it's all gorgeous!

    We have a Bedford station and on the tag I wrote "miscellany." I think that's a nice euphemism for "crap," right??

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  18. I love EVERYTHING about this room! Especially the black doors! Also have you seen the dahlia fabric from calico corners? Here is a link: http://www.calicocorners.com/product/designer+fabrics+for+the+home/shop+fabrics+by+color/aqua+and+teal+fabric/dahlia+aegean.do?search=basic&keyword=dahlia&sortby=priceAscend&page=1

    Also, I second Mrs. Limestone with the guazy window treatments! Other than that, great job!

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  19. Anonymous1:26 PM

    This is really beautiful! I think the window treatments are the perfect opportunity to bring in some pattern. I love the Dancing Paisley or Weaver Bird curtains from Anthro in here. Spendy but you only need 2...

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  20. What a GORGEOUS transformation! I love that duvet cover! I don't think anything needs to be in front of the mirror. I think it stands well on its own;o)

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  21. Beautiful! How about a small stool for in front of your mirror? A neutral curtain, like a soft canvas, would be timeless, but edge it with 4" of yellow fabric that could be changed out for something else later. Choose a fabric in the same shade for the foot of the bed so that they compliment each other, but are not matching. As for your Bedford tag, how about "pastiche" or "curios?"

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  22. Oh my, I LOVE this room. I am feeling utterly inspired by the black doors against the white trim everywhere... just gorgeous!

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  23. Great transformation, especially getting rid of the carpet in the bathroom.

    Where did you find the crystal doorknob?

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  24. Keren3:51 PM

    I love this room! I've been thinking of painting our interior doors black for some time now, and this picture finally sold me.

    Question though, since both sides of your bedroom door are painted black, are all the other interior doors also painted black? And what paint did you use (color, finish)? Where did you get the glass knobs?

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  25. These are all such neat ideas. I love the dahlia print - I may have to stop by Calico Corners on Thursday and check it out.

    @Naz We got the crystal doorknobs from here: http://kilian.stores.yahoo.net/oldtowclearg.html They are Emtek knobs. I searched the web EXTENSIVELY for the best deal on crystal knobs (waldorf shape), which are so pricey. Emtek is usually $120 or so, but these are complete sets for $70, which is still a lot, but a much better price overall. We couldn't do old knobs because we were doing multiple doors, and they were all hollow core (which I hate). But these new ones worked like a charm, considering, and they have a very nice heft to them. :)

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  26. @Keren All of our interior doors are painted black - they're all hollow core and I just wanted them to seem a bit richer and more expensive without the added cost of replacing them. So we painted them - took them to our local paint shop (they did all 15 of our doors for under $500) and they sprayed them Benjamin Moore Black (oil based satin finish, from their basic line - it's a ready mix paint). We love them so much, and everybody has given positive feedback, although it felt risky at the time. The house is 50 percent crystal knobs (the doors that "show") and 50% iron knobs (kids room, laundry, closet, etc). It was a good split for saving money and getting bling. Hope this helps, thanks!

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  27. Keren4:45 PM

    Rebekah - thanks for answering my questions so promptly....one follow-up...you mentioned that you took your doors to a local paint shop....what kind of place is that? Is it an auto paint shop? I want to know who to look up in my area to see about them doing this for me.

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  28. Those floors are amazing!!!!!
    1. Maybe go for a contrasting texture like a silk. Or do the links burnout or carved circles from West Elm.
    2. Pattern fo sho
    3. Maybe a little reading chair??? I'm also into benches in from of floor mirrors.

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  29. Keren, it was just our local house painter who had painted our exterior the year before. He had a "spray" room in his warehouse for spraying kitchen cabinets, etc. I guess this is common among painters with office space? Anyhow, doors are so simple and we removed all the hardware and brought them to the shop, so it didn't end up being too much! Good luck!

    @Just A Girl - like the chair idea!

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  30. Rebekah, those floors are GORGEOUS!!! Actually so is everything else. I love the doors too. I've been contemplating painting our own (hollow core, blech)doors black for awhile now. Great tip to take them to be sprayed. I probably would have attempted to roll them and been completely dissatisfied with the results.

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  31. Brilliant! I love everything about this room, but I'm particularly fond of the double french doors. These would be a great solution for my master bathroom door, which currently blocks the shower when open. Are these doors custom or can they be picked up at Lowe's?

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  32. @The Rural Socialite

    The doors are custom (as in we went to a local door shop to pick them out). Mainly because the big box stores didn't have the size we were looking for (16 inches per door). At the door shop, what they had us order was two french pane sidelights actually, and then added hinges and knobs to those. This saved us a ton of money. The custom french door project stayed under $300, including changing the drywall arch to a door frame.

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  33. Amazing, I am seriously so in love with this whole look...I can't stand it. Brilliant re-do!!!

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  34. Love it! So many nice things. I am thinking swapping the larger chest of drawers with the mirror would (could) look better. Maybe with a nice print or mirror up higher on the wall. Then maybe a chair next to the large mirror now over against the wall. Like the idea of striped curtains - maybe linen like tone on tone stripe. Yellow tiebacks?

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  35. Rebecca12:54 AM

    Such a pretty room! I love the floors, the linen, the yellow...I could go on and on. Just beautiful! Oh, and how about 'whatnot' for your Bedford?

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  36. Jacqueline2:56 AM

    GASP! I'm in loooove!

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  37. Wow, Rebekah, what a transformation. I'm in love with the floors, the pops of yellow against grey (a favourite combo), the black doors with crystal knobs, the textural elements. Just stunning.

    Thank you, Mrs. Limestone for sharing!

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  38. Gorgeous! I really can't get enough of this color combo.

    Mandy @ This Girl's Life

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  39. Love the transformation - the cove for the mirror, with the industrial/nautical light above it is just fantastic.

    I think you should label the "junk drawer" "life". Cuz honestly, who doesn't need a junk drawer to keep one's life organized. ;)

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  40. I have found really nice simple panels at Ikea of all places for about $30/pair. You could do a pair in a solid color and then use some fabric to do a contrast lead edge with a bit of no sew tape. I agree with the other posters who recommended a pot with tall curly willow near the mirror.

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  41. Love the room - it's gorgeous. I would say for drapes - what about a fabric similar to your duvet - or you could use it as an opportunity to add some pattern.

    For next to the mirror I would say maybe just some really large vases - just to heighten the space a little and bring your eyes up.

    can I ask where you purchased the crystal doorknobs - I love them!

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  42. The floor is amazing! It's so unique and is worlds away from that carpet! I'm a PB fan (there, I said it!), but I def don't think your room looks like it's out of their catalog. The details like the crystal doorknobs and bright yellow accents make it very non-cookie cutter.

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  43. Love the taupey room! I think taupe is such a wonderfully versatile color -- it looks both elegant and casual at the same time. Make for a very relaxing space to be in!

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  44. This looks fantastic!! My favorite colors are yellow and gray! Where is your rug from? It's exactly what I've been looking for my bedroom!

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  45. Hi Amanda! The rug is {ahem} also from Pottery Barn - it's their wool and jute combo. I looked everywhere and that one was my favorite - it's perfect and thick and soft and supple. Good luck with your bedroom!

    Laura - thanks so much! I think "non-cookie cutter" is a fabulous compliment. :)

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  46. I just love, love this room. So serene and comfortable looking! I am with you on the curtains ($$$$) and am in the midst of trying to make a cost-conscious decision myself. I do think the bench at the foot of your bed is the perfect place to introduce a bold pattern. If you get sick of it...an easy and inexpensive swap.

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  47. Melissa4:29 PM

    This room is gorgeous. I am looking for a very similar bench (like the one at the end of the bed).. where did this come from??? Thanks!

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  48. Melissa:

    The bench was from Cost Plus a few years ago. :)

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  49. our bedford tag reads 'odds & ends' in a scripty print. we decided that was the fancy word for junk :)

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  50. stunning! I love the colors and the art work and, well, everything else.

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  51. why not "sundries" for the bedford station?

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  52. I love the black doors. I really love everything about the room. Lovely.

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  53. I absolutely love the yellow punches, and the textures in the room. Gorgeous. Now as for that charging station label -- write your favourite word on it, or a word that reminds each other of one another or something sweet like that .. it doesn't have to "label" the drawer.

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  54. SheilaG8:45 AM

    ♥♥♥ it all! How about a topiary to one side of mirror? The spiral shape wouldn't block the mirror too much.

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  55. Anonymous4:06 PM

    Just curious, how do the black doors work with the rest of the house? I would love to do this, but worried about the black doors not matching the other decor??
    I want the gray walls and a black tree with birds on an accent wall. lol

    Joy
    gajoy4u@yahoo.com

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